When the world
seems uncertain
There are times when it’s useful to
Think like an animal—like now
When you smell that peculiar
Sense of fear running through veins,
People get furious over stupid things
Or weep when alone at night.
One friend said, “I want to go home.”
But where is home when the world
Seems on fire, wolves circling in shadows
As incompetence sits upon the throne….
Who can we blame? The Chinese?
Russians? Italians? Gay people?
When darkness seems pandemic,
It’s tempting to allow the heart to harden,
Feel constriction of hatred,
Make wager that fear will win.
Finally, I paused and then laughed,
Walked out under full moon.
Begging the light to take me back,
Slowly absurdity of hope
Began to dawn in the east.
How long will I allow myself
To be enslaved by my own fear?
Even as a nomad in exile, I still have a calling.
Fred H. Turpin
18 Lakeview Drive, March 27, 2020